Combination bench, bookrack, shelf, and desk



COMBINATION BENCH, BOOKRACK, SHELF, AND DESK Filed Oct. 7, 1952 2Sheets-Sheet 1 Thai.

|NVENTORZ .d pezo 500164194 4 ATTORNEY:

Dec. 7, 1954 c. BOMBARA COMBINATION BENCH, BOOKRACK, SHELF, AND DESK 2Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Oct. 7, 1952 M 5 Z a 00 TI 0$ I1 6 a United StatesPatent COMBINATION BENCH, BOOKRACK, SHELF,

- AND DESK Carlo Bombara, Rosedale, N. Y.

' Application October 7, 1952, Serial No. 313,391

2 Claims. (Cl. 312-235) This invention relates to combination benches,bookracks, shelves and desks.

Among the objects of the present invention, it is aimed to provide animproved combination bench, bookrack, shelf and desk which can be foldedinto a bench and bookrack alone in one position, unfolded into a bench,bookrack and shelf formation in alinement with one another in anotherposition, and unfolded in still another position into bench and bookrackformation with the shelf in desk position in front of the bench.

It is still another object of the present invention to provide animproved combination bench, bookrack, shelf and desk which in oneposition can be folded into bench and bookrack formation, unfolded inanother position into bench, bookrack and shelf in alinement with oneanother, and unfolded in still another position into bench and bookrackformation with the shelf in desk position in front of the bench, whichcombination can be produced at low cost, and when produced manipulatedwith ease by a child or an unskilled user.

These and other features, capabilities and advantages of the presentinvention will appear from the subjoined detailed description of onespecific embodiment thereof illustrated in the accompanying drawings, inwhich Fig. 1 is a perspective of the combination bench, bookrack andshelf in folded bench and bookrack position.

Fig. 2 is a perspective of the combination unfolded with the shelf indesk position in front of the bench.

Fig. 3 is a perspective of the combination unfolded with the shelf inalinement with, and to one side of, the bench.

Fig. 4 is a plan view of the combination as arranged in Fig. 3 withparts broken away.

Fig. 5 is a section on the line 55 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 is a vertical section of the shelf portion in folded position butremoved from the bench portion.

Fig. 7 is a fragmental vertical section of a part of the shelf portionin folded position as shown in Fig. 6.

Fig. 8 is an enlarged section on line 88 of Fig. 6.

In the embodiment shown, the combination consists essentially of a frame1 formed into a large chest or container 2, a narrow lower bookrack orpocket 3, a wide upper bookrack or pocket 4, and hingedly connectedthereto a partition or upright wall 5 having hingedly connected theretothe shelf 6, which in turn has hingedly connected thereto the leg 7. Theleg 7 is hingedly connected at its upper end to the strip 8 secured tothe lower face of the outer end of the shelf 6 so that it may either befolded into shelf supporting position as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, orfolded up against the lower face of the shelf 6 as shown in Fig. 6. Inthis folded up position, the metal catch 9 on the inner face at theouter end of the shelf 6 will yieldably wedge between the yieldable jaws10 and 11 on the cross piece 12 on the outer face at the lower end ofthe wall member 5.

The wall member 5 in turn is hingedly connected at the front verticaledge of its inner face to the front outer edge of the container or chest2, so that when it is desired to use the shelf 6 as a desk or table, thewall member 5 with its associated shelf 6 and leg 7 may be swung aroundinto the position shown in Fig. 2 where the shelf 6 may serve as a deskfor the user sitting on the seat 13.

Preferably the seat 13 may serve as the cover for a part of thecontainer 2 being hinged in the present instance at its rear edge to theupper edge of the rear wall 14 of the container 2.

To anchor the wall 5 to the outer face of the wall 15 of the [container2 either in the folded position of the 2,696,418 Patented Dec. 7, 1954 2shelf-,6 shown inFig. l, or the shelf forming position shown in Fig. 3.,the ,eye 16 may be secured to the outer face of the wall 5 to receivethe hook 17 pivotally connected to the rear face of the rear wall 14 ofthe container 2 adjacent tothe eye16 when the wall 5 is disposed againstthe wall 15.

In the-interest of reducing the cost of manufacture to .a minimum, thewall 5 .and the shelf. 6 may consist essentially of rigid rectangularframes 19 and 20, respectlvely, comopsed of wood or the like, withcomposition boards 21 and 22 secured across the same, the board 21forming the outer wall portion of the wall 5, and the board 22 formingthe upper wall portion of the shelf 6 in shelf forming position. Theseat 13 is preferably composed of a rigid board 23 composed of wood orthe like, having a cushioned layer 24 covering the upper face thereof.The partition 25 between the compartment 2 and the bookrack 3 is similarto the wall 5 and shelf 6, being composed of a rectangular frame 26 towhich the composition board 27 is secured forming the main wall portionof the partition 25 between the compartment 2 and the bookrack 3. Therectangular frames 19, 20 and 26 may be composed of wood and thecomposition boards may be composed of beaver board, laminated board orthe like.

The wall 15, floor 28, outer wall 29 extending from the floor 28 to theupper end of the compartment 4, the upper wall 30 and the partition orwall between the bookrack 4 and the seat 13 are preferably composed ofsome rigid substance, such as wood or the like. The rear wall 14 isL-shaped and may be composed of a composition board, such as beaverboard or the like, which is secured to the rear edges of the walls 15,29, floor 28, ceiling 30 and partition 31 to form the rear wall for thecompartments 2, 3 and 4. Also secured to the upper end of therectangular frame 26 and the inner faces of the wall 29 and lower edgeof the wall 31, there is provided a substantially rigid floor 32 whichforms the floor for the bookrack 4, the ceiling for the bookrack 3, andextends inwardly a slight distance beyond the wall 31 so that the seat13 in closed position will overlap the portion of the wall 31 of thefloor 32 projecting beyond the wall 31.

The leg 7 is preferably composed of a rigid material such as wood and asshown may have an extended bar 33 at its lower end to form a foot tosteady the leg 7 when in shelf supporting position.

The beaver board wall portion 34 of the rear wall 14 has secured to itsupper edge a rigid bar 35 composed of wood or the like. Similarly thefront wall 36 of the chest 2 is composed of a composition board 37 whichis secured at its upper edge to the front face of a rigid bar 38extending from the wall 15 to the upper face of the frame 26. The beaverboard partition 37 is additionally secured to the front faces of thewalls 15, floor 28 and front face of the frame 26.

It is obvious that various changes and modifications may be made to thedetails of construction, without departing from the general spirit ofthe invention as set forth in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a combination bench and shelf, the combination of a rectangularshaped container forming the main frame having a main floor, avertically extending end wall, a vertically extending rear wall and avertically extending front wall, a seat forming cover hingedly connectedto the upper edge of the rear wall and resting at least on the upperedge of the front wall in seat forming position, a vertically extendingupright wall hingedly connected to the end wall adjacent the front walland swingable from a position in alinement with, and extending forwardof, said end wall and perpendicular to said front wall to a positionflat against said end wall, the upright wall being rectangular in crosssection to enable its one face to engage said end wall to determine oneextreme position and to enable its edge to engage said front wall todetermine its other position, a rectangular frame secured to the otherface of said upright wall to form a compartment with said upright walland having a bar extending horizontally adjacent the upper edge of saidother face, a shelf hingedly connected to said bar to swing up from aposition to a position perpendicular to said upright wall in shelfforming position, and a leg pivotally connected adjacent the outer edgeof said shelf to swing from a position adjacent to said shelf incollapsed position to a position perpendicular to said shelf in shelfsupporting position.

2. The combination as set forth in claim 1 having a bar interposedbetween said rectangular frame and said leg to supplement said leg inlength when in shelf supporting position, said bar being spaced from theouter edge of said shelf to fit, with said leg in collapsed posiframe.

Number tion, into the compartment formed by said rectangular ReferencesCited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Schultz Feb. 17,1953

